Robert J. Shapera was born on the 29th June 1930, in New York City, USA, and as Robert Evans is an actor, producer and studio executive, best known to the world for his work on such cult films as the horror “Rosemary’s Baby” (1968), then romantic drama “Love Story” (1970), and crime drama “The Godfather” (1972), among many other successful productions.
Have you ever wondered how rich Robert Evans is, as of early 2017? According to authoritative sources, it has been estimated that Robert’s net worth is as high as $120 million, earned through his successful career in the entertainment industry, which began in 1950.
Robert Evans Net Worth $120 Million
Robert is the son of Jewish parents, Florence a housewife and Archie Shapera, a dentist in Harlem. Robert had an older brother, Charles who started the Evan-Picone fashion company, for which Robert did promotional work in his early years. Also, Robert was involved in voice work on radio shows. He changed his name while in school to a more ‘English’ one.
Robert’s career started in the early 1950s, when he was cast in Jean Negulesco’s action adventure film “Lydia Bailey” (1952), starring Dale Robertson and Anne Francis. Soon he was spotted by actress Norma Shearer, who found him an engagement in Joseph Pevney’s Academy Award biopic about Lon Chaney – “Man of a Thousand Faces” (1957), starring James Cagney, Dorothy Malone and Jane Greer. The same year he portrayed Pedro Romero in Henry King’s drama “The Sun Also Rises”, based on Ernest Hemingway’s novel of the same name. In 1958 he had the lead role in the western “The Fiend Who Walked the West”, while in 1959 he featured in the romantic drama “The Best of Everything”, starring Hope Lange, Stephen Boyd and Suzy Parker; his net worth was now well established.
Robert wasn’t quite satisfied with his acting talent and ventured into producing films, but returned to the screen in the mid- ‘90s, and since then has appeared in such productions as “An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn” (1997), “Kid Notorious” (2003), and “The Girl from Nagasaki” (2013).
In the mid- ‘60s he became head of production for the Paramount Studio, and his first film was the crime drama “The Detective” (1968), starring Frank Sinatra, Lee Remick and Robert Duvall. He continued successfully at Paramount with such films as “Rosemary’s Baby” (1968), “The Italian Job” (1969), “True Grit” (1969), “Harold and Maude” (1971), and “Save the Tiger” (1973), among many others.
However, Robert was dissatisfied with the payment he received from Paramount, and while still being head of production also began producing films on his own, such as “The Godfather” (1972) and “The Godfather: Part II” (1974). He eventually left Paramount for good, and focused more on sole production, which spawned such films as “Chinatown” (1974), starring Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway and John Huston, and “Marathon Man” (1976), with Dustin Hoffman, Laurence Olivier and Roy Scheider as the stars of the film. Until the mid- ‘80s Robert enjoyed fame with such accomplishments as the Golden Globe Award- nominated “Players” (1979), also Golden Globe Award nominated western “Urban Cowboy” (1980), with John Travolta and Debra Winger, and the Academy Award- nominated drama “The Cotton Club” (1984), starring Richard Gere, Gregory Hines and Diane Lane. After that his life and career took a turn for the worse, as he was charged for drug trafficking, largely for his own benefit in use, on which charges he pleaded guilty.
Robert returned to the film world in 1990 with the drama “The Two Jakes”, starring Jack Nicholson and Harvey Keitel, and continued with the romantic thriller “Sliver” (1993), starring William Baldwin and Sharon Stone, and action adventure “The Phantom” (1996), with Billy Zane in the lead role. Before the ‘90s ended Robert produced the comedy “The Out-of-Towners” (1999), with Steve Martin and Goldie Hawn, which further added to his net worth.
With the beginning of the new millennium, Robert slowed down again – in 2003 he produced the romantic comedy “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days”, starring Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey, and then in 2016 produced “Urban Cowboy”, and he several projects released in 2017, including the action film “The White Death”, and drama “The Strangers at the Palazzo d’Oro”, raising his net worth considerably.
Regarding his personal life, Robert has just one child, director Josh Evans with his third wife Ali MacGraw; their marriage lasted from 1969 until 1973. Robert has married seven times, and become known for his short marriages, none more than three years; his marriage to his fifth wife Catherine Oxenberg lasted only ten days in July 1998. His most recent partner was Lady Victoria White, and their marriage lasted from 2005 until 2006.
His health began deteriorating in the late ‘90s, and due to several strokes he suffered, Robert was unable to speak and walk for a while, but managed to recover, and now uses a cane in order to walk. He continues to live in Beverly Hills, California.
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